Combined fluid supply apparatus and surgical drape support



C. A. STRUVE Oct. 1, 1968 COMBINED FLUID SUPPLY APPARATUS AND-SURGICALDRAPE SUPPORT Filed Oct. 22, 1965 ATTORNEY .5

United States Patent O 3,403,677 COMBINED FLUID SUPPLY APPARATUS ANDSURGICAL DRAPE SUPPORT Clemens A. Struve, 5211 Ocean Drive, CorpusChristi, Tex. 78412 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 502,245 2 Claims. (Cl.128205) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The fluid supply apparatus andsurgical drape support is formed from a single, unitary tube whichextends from beneath an impervious drape across the face of a patient toa source of air or other fluid. The portion of this single tube abovethe patients face is formed with openings to provide fluid to the noseand mouth of the patient while permitting an impervious drape to bemaintained in close contact with the sides of the head. Additionally,the lower end of the single tube is shaped to a form which is insertedbeneath the patient support to permit the tube to operate as a supportfor the drape above the patients face.

This invention relates to a breathing tube and particularly to anapparatus used for supplying air or oxygen to a patient undergoingsurgery of the eyes, ears, nose or portions of the head, above the nose.

When a patient is underging surgery to the eyes, ears, nose, or otherportions of the head above the nose, an impervious plastic drape whichadheres to the skin is often used to shield the sterile area from thenose and mouth. With the impervious plastic drape covering the nose andmouth, despite the fact that they may be receiving a suflicient supplyof oxygen, patients often feel they are experiencing difliculty inbreathing.

With the present invention, the plastic or other impervious air-proofmaterial is held away from the patients face, allowing a jet of air oroxygen to be supplied to the patient which is very comforting andreassuring to a patient who is apprehensive about having his mouth andnose covered while under local anesthesia and during surgery.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support forimpervious drapes used in surgery so as to keep a portion of theimpervious drapes suspended and out of contact with the patients noseand mouth.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device whichsupplies fluid to a patient under an impervious drape.

It is another object of the present invention to furnish a jet of fluidto the face of the patient, beneficial to the patients mood.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device whichaccomplishes the aforementioned objectives and at the same time allowscomplete freedom and flexibility of the patient during surgery.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will becomereadily apparent upon reference to the following description taken inconjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the invention taken along the line 22 in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the nozzle of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, the apparatus ofthe invention is comprised generally of a length of tubing 10, formed ofcopper, or the like. A portion of the tubing is formed into a base 12which 3,403,677 Patented Oct. 1, 1968 can be inserted between themattress pad 14 and the operating table 16 supporting a patient 18.

One end of the tubing 20 forming the base 12 is connected to a source ofair or oxygen supply 22. The opposite end of the tubing 24 is curvedupward and over the patient 18 in the vicinity of the patients chest orshoulders.

A right angle 25 then directs the tube toward the nose and mouth of thepatient, in which area the tube is looped forming a circle 26 above thenose and mouth of the patient.

As can be more readily seen in FIG. 3, the terminal end 28 of the tubeis crimped shut and a plurality of holes 30 are formed on the inside ofthe circular portion of the tube forming a nozzle so that when oxygen orair under pressure is furnished to the tube it is emitted through theholes 30 into contact with the nose and mouth of the patient.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tube is designed so as to suspend the imperviousdrapes 8 so that they are out of immediate contact with the nose andmouth of the patient and at the same time the tube is curved so as toavoid the cheek area of the patient.

While the tube of the apparatus may be made of rigid tubing, it ispreferable that the tubing possess a degree of flexibility so as toprovide an eflicient and swift means of adjustment and so that it may bemade adjustable for use with children as well as adults.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been describedherein, various changes and modifications may be made by those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit of the invention asexpressed in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for supplying fluid from a fluid supply source to the noseand mouth of a patient reclining upon a support while maintaining animpervious drape in close contact with portions of the patients headbelow the eyes to protect sterile areas of the patients body from thenose and mouth, comprising a unitary tube having an open end adapted forattachment to said fluid supply source and a closed end, said tube beingformed to provide a base section adjacent said open end, a supportsection adjacent said closed end and a connecting section extendingbetween said base and support sections to maintain said base and supportsections in spaced relationship, said support section being of L-shapedconfiguration and including a first leg adapted to extend transverselyto the patient across said support and a second leg formed to extendsubstantially perpendicular to said first leg and being of a length toextend beneath said drape from a position beneath the chin of saidpatient to a termination point above the nose and mouth of said patient,said second leg being provided on the underside thereof facing saidsupport With a plurality of fluid exit apertures spaced from the closedend of said tube, and said base section being formed to provide amounting portion extending away from said connecting section in thedirectionof extension of said first leg of said support section,said-mounting section being adapted for insertion beneath said supportto maintain the second leg of said support section in position above thenose and mouth of the patient.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the end portion of the second leg ofsaid support section adjacent to the closed end of said tube is formedinto a substantially circular loop of a diameter suflicient to encirclea portion of a patients face above the nose and mouth, said loop beingof a size to permit said drape to be maintained in close contact withthe sides of the head of such patient, and said fluid exit aperturesbeing formed in said loop.

(References on following page) References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS i UNITEDSTATES PATENTS w 988,069 4/1951 France.

2 437 7 9 Kilgore et 1 2 5 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Plifl'ltll)? Examiner.

2 764 152 9 195 b 12g 142 3 5 W. E. KAMM, Assistant Examiner.

